


Talon's Little Robin

by SpectralTigerParadox (TerminusVerso)



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Dick Grayson is a Talon, Jason Todd (mentioned) - Freeform, Tim Drake (Mentioned) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2020-10-20 05:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20670080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerminusVerso/pseuds/SpectralTigerParadox
Summary: Two birds - an owl and a robin - find each other in the depths of the night.





	1. The Encounter - Part One

As usual, the night is cold and lonely. Damian’s so-called ‘_brothers_' are ignoring him once again. It seems as though they only bother paying attention to him after he has killed or maimed someone, or done something worthy of a harsh scolding and possibly even confinement to the spacious, luxurious halls of the Manor. A prison in its own rights. 

Damian sighed. He loathed the city. Gotham: The birthplace of his '_father_', Batman, and home of the world's most dangerous villains. Not including his '_grandfather_', of course.

Even the secluded apartment complex he sat upon is tainted by this wretched place. Windows, a nonexistent feature of the towering structure. Any glass has been replaced by rotting wooden boards or is simply nonexistent. The light scratching of mice, rats, and roaches scurrying on behind him brings a disgusted sneer to his face. Despite the noise, Damian stays. The chattering rodents is far better than the loud, obnoxious honking of car horns and ear grating screaming of imbeciles. Idiotic people his '_family_' deemed worthy of protection. Disgusting, worthless harlots and sleazy scumbags that hold a higher value to his '_family_' than he himself. Damian Wayne, son of the Bat- One true heir to the mantle... Not that anyone in the Wayne household actually cares.

So, yes. Without a doubt in the world, Damian abhors this city and every single insignificant creature in it with a burning passion.

An unsightly smog stretches across the sky, effectively hiding the stars and moon. A smell reminiscent of a moldy dumpster assaults his nose. The heavily polluted air of Gotham makes Damian long for the crisp clean air of the mountain. The snowy high peaks he occasionally trained on. The obscured night sky makes him yearn to stand on the peak of said mountain and bask in the brilliant light of the moon. Unfortunately, that is an impossible wish to fulfill. A childish dream that will never come to fruition. 

He had been abandoned in this a cursed city by his ‘_mother_’ exactly one year ago, yet he still couldn’t get used to the ‘city life’. It is too noisy; Far too bright for his liking. The mountain, how he wished he could return, but there is no way the League of Assassins would welcome him back with open arms. Talia made it quite clear Damian is no longer her son- that he no longer has a place in the _al Ghul_ family.

But, regardless of the toxic smelling air and annoying lights/noises, it is nice to be away from the Manor. A suffocating atmosphere weighed down the very air dwelling within its' halls. Tension and grief threatened to swallow him whole. The sheer sorrow displayed by Pennyworth, Todd, and Drake is foreign to him. Something considered highly frowned upon in the place of his upbringing- a weakness for enemies to exploit. Damian would be grieving too if not for the fact he hardly knew his '_father_'. 

Wayne never made an effort to spend time with him, unlike how he constantly partook in frivolous activities with Todd and Drake. Movies, board games, photography contests, that _stupid_ book club- Wayne did everything with those two rats. Damian could admit he was jealous of the amount of attention they received at first, but now he just prays their deaths will be sooner than later.

The boy looked off the edge of his perch, pondering many questions. Some about his life and others about what he will do next. Mainly one inquire stuck out amongst the chattering cloud of thoughts._ Did Wayne ever really want me? _Damian analyzed previously obtained evidence_. _Based on these clues, the answer is obvious. So, so obvious. It felt as though his heart was being broken all over again.

_No. Of course not, why would he? I was merely meant to be a pawn in his game, just like how I was a pawn for 'Mother' and 'Grandfather'._

Wayne had kept Damian for the sole purpose of keeping him from decapitating or eviscerating people, not because Damian is his son. Even when the man was alive he treated Damian the exact way Todd and Drake do. Ignore him until he’s does something wrong and then yell at him. Life with the League of Assassins was so much easier. Train and go on missions- that’s all Damian had to do there. Now there are so many things he _should and shouldn’t _be doing it becomes overwhelming. So many rules he is required to follow that he is driven mad: “_Don’t kill anyone!”_, they scold; “_Do your schoolwork!”_, they demand; “_You need to make friends with kids your age.”_, they state. The list goes on and on _and on_.

“_No weapons in the house”; “Quit breaking peoples’ noses”; “No fighting criminals”; “Be nicer to people”; “Stay home at night”; “Don’t sharpen your swords in the kitchen”_\- that is only a small list of the many things he has been yelled at for. The League of Assassins has a clear set of rules and expectations. But here with Wayne’s family, it felt like he was learning a new rule or expectation every day.

A gentle thump shook Damian out of his thoughts. The noise came from behind, soft and almost nonexistent. Naturally, it causes him to stiffen. His first instinct would be to assume it is Todd or Drake, but the noise was far too quiet- far too _assassin-like_ for it to be either of those clamorous elephants. The two are a pair of strident, raucous bats; They could never manage to replicate an assassin’s stealth.


	2. The Encounter - Part Two

Near silent footfall emanates from the unseen opponent; Unfortunately, the light echo of the steps indicated said opponent choose to move closer. An unwise decision. Damian cautiously slipped a hidden knife from his sweater's sleeve, holding it in such a way that the assassin would not be able to spot it. His muscles tensed, prepared to launch him across the roof at the person approaching from behind, however, he was hesitant to make the first move. Confliction warred between assassin-esque instincts and doubt. 

Are they a friend or a foe? Todd and Drake know many people amongst the superhero community- What if it is one of their stupid friends? How much trouble would Damian be in if he attacked them? _ A lot_. Neither ' _ brother _ ' would allow him to leave the Manor again, condemning him to a fate as a prisoner in his own ' _ home _'. He'd be lucky if they even consider letting him wander the garden. But, of course, this does not rule out the possibility this person could be an enemy. 

_If a foe, then who would dare to sneak up on me? _

An assassin sent by his '_mother_' or '_grandfather_'. That is very likely. Both villains expressed how disappointed they were in Damian and how much they wished for his early demise; They loathe him. Still, attacking without knowing who exactly he is up against would be ill-advised. The ramifications of harming the wrong person are too great. Plus- Damian's thoughts froze. Those feather-soft footsteps had stopped, and he could sense a very dangerous presence right behind himself. He turned his head ever-so-slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, Damian saw a myth- a true Gotham legend. A _terrible _Gotham legend. The one and only fabled Talon of the Court of Owls.

The undead being made no move to attack. It merely stood there... staring at him with cold, dead eyes. He used this to his advantage by taking the opportunity to examine the Talon. 

Male, evident by Talon's body structure. Every muscle was well-defined; His heigh and shape screamed aerialist. Greasy black locks fell in the other's face- No doubt never having been cut during his time working for the fools running the Court. Yellow eyes as piercing as a predator gaze studied him in return. An old black suit with gold highlights clothed the 'living' legend. Damian has seen - well, more like snuck a look at - pictures of Talons garbed in the black and gold armor. Many pieces and accouterments are missing, but the bodysuit definitely belongs to the outfit. 

The smaller of the two killers wondered why such a being was still wandering the streets and rooftops of Gotham. Then a realization hit. This Talon- Wayne had mentioned him once before, warned Damian of an undead assassin lurking the depths of Gotham's darkest corners. The Talon before him is the one that managed to successfully escape when Batman took down the Court.

"You shouldn't be here." Talon said, suddenly, in a broken raspy voice.

Damian scoffed, "If not here, then, pray-tell, where do _you_ suggest I be?" The tone was combative. An ill-considered action (as no one truly wants to get into a fight with a Talon), however, he can't be anything else. It is a part of his nature. 

Thankfully, his natural inclination to pick a fight is ignored. The undead killer blinks at him before bluntly stating, "Home."

'_Home _ ', such a ludicrous notion. In Damian's experience, there is no such thing as home, just a place one is forced to return to at the end of the day and expected to stay 24/7. "How unfortunate, for I do not have a '_home _'." He hissed, snidely. 

Talon crouched down to his level and looking him up and down. A teasing smile flashed across his face, being replaced by indifference in an instant. "Hmm," The older raven started, "a poor little robin without a nest. What exactly did you do to get kicked out?" 

"Nothing. I was never welcome there in the first place." Damian spat, bitterly. He did nothing! Nothing at all, yet, others still refuse to left him into their lives. And he certainly does not need a _Talon _reminding him of that. 

"Baby birds don't belong in a brood of bats." Damian stared at the undead assassin in shock. How on earth did the Court's tool learn the Wayne family secret? Todd and Drake are always going on about code names and not discussing civilian identities/revealing information on the field. Wayne was the same way. So, how? He was about to demand answers when the other continued. "Well, if you have nowhere else to be... then you should join my flock. I'll take good care of you." 

Damian will never admit it, but for a brief moment, he entertained the thought. Considered it. Just up and disappearing with this mysterious man. Finding a place where he can live without the restraints Gotham places upon him. Maybe even returning to the mountains. Alas, he can't. Todd or Drake, possibly both, would no doubt drag him back to the Manor. Regardless of how much he kicked or screamed. There is also the fact he hardly knew Talon. Why should Damian trust him? What could he gain by having Damian on his side? _Will this man throw me away once he gets what he wants?_

"I can't."

"Can't or won't- Never mind, it doesn't matter. My offer still stands. If you ever find yourself tired of flying with bats, return here and I'll show you how real birds fly." With that being said, the Talon jumped back and disappeared into the shadows of the night. 


	3. Alternate View (Bonus Chapter)

A little robin keeps flying by, flittering and fluttering weakly against Gotham's oppressive gravity; The baby bird is hardly new to the area. Talon has seen him many times before. Sometimes on the rooftops, other times on Gotham's surprisingly crowded streets, and occasionally in places not meant for one so young (villain hideouts, bars/clubs, dark and dangerous alleyways, etc.). But most surprisingly of all, under the wings and watchful eyes of the city's resident bat-themed hero: _Batman_. That came as quite the shock. A bird and a bat? Together? Impossible. In Talon's opinion, at least. 

How can he not think that? The dark scourge of night ended every Talon under the Court of Owls. Minus himself, of course. He swiftly and gracefully escaped the dark knight's clutches. It was easy, especially considering his options- abandon the Court and live or fight for those who held no place in his undead heart and die. The choice was obvious and thus led Talon to take the opportunity to escape both the Court of Owls and Batman; It was worth it. Fresh(-ish) air, clear skies, freedom to roam wherever- He loves them all. The only thing he loves more is his nest, a dilapidated building that has been long since deserted by anything aside from rats and roaches. And, once again, the little robin is perched on Talon's nest. Undoubtedly unaware of who chose to dwell there.

Robin, the boy Talon knew not the name of, visits frequently; Always with rage and distress written on his face. Tonight, however, the little visitor appears unusually lost. Confused. Sad. Robin looked at the sky with longing, eyes pleading for a greater power to lift his wings and whisk him faraway from there. Talon recognized that expression. He himself wore it often in the past... the expression of a caged bird. 

It unnerved Talon to see such a look on a child. The similarities it shares with the one that graced his features all those years ago brought forth disgust. This boy, the baby robin who reflected his past-self like a living mirror, should by no means have a reason to carry that expression. Robin should be _protected_; Kept safe and loved. Clearly, Batman isn't doing that. Nor are his brood. When did heroes become so _useless_? So _ignorant _of the suffering of those close to them? Talon is no hero. _But_, he knows he can do far better than those self-proclaimed 'heroes'. For he can do what they can't: make tough decisions, end the lives of others, fight without holding back, throw caution to the wind and leap right into the action, hold zero fear of the public, and be rid of _anyone _or _anything _that dares to threaten his nest/flock or livelihood. And gods know Talon will not shy away from bloodshed. At all. 

Those facts alone prove Talon is more capable than the men/women running around, playing dress-up, and pretending to solve the world's crime problems. He could- No, _can _take Robin under his wing and show him how to end this incessant charade- what it takes to bring the heroes and villain amaranthine game of cat and mouse to a close. The main question is: Will he? Probably not; It sounded like far more trouble than it is worth. Letting the 'heroes' slowly dwindle the population with their villains is far more rewarding, too. Talon enjoys watching them face the terrible consequences of their actions. Besides, why on earth would he bother trying? Why save people? In his youth, people were hardly as kind to him as he was to them. They mocked his heritage and frowned upon the lifestyle he led. When they threw insults at him, he merely smiled and ignored them. Now- Well, Talon can just as easily remove their tongue if they so much as utter the wrong phrase. 

So, if not follow the path of a hero, what should he do with the boy? Talon certainly can not leave him alone, unprotected and at risk of being snatched up by a larger fowl. He'd never forgive himself if Robin faced the same fate as him. (_He ran and ran, but it was futile. The owls were right behind him; No matter how fast his aching legs moved, he couldn't lose them in the twisting, turning alleys of the city. Soon enough, clawed - _taloned _\- hands caught him and pulled his flailing body into the darkest depths Gotham could provide: The sewer. Or, in other terms, a rotten and smelly cage._) Keeping Robin close would be for the best... However, Talon will not force the fledgling to stay with him. It would remind him too much of what the Court did to him, especially if the boy did not want to stay.

For now, giving Robin a choice and respecting his decision will have to suffice. 


End file.
